Book construction and bookbinding method



vMay 9, 1944. c oss 2,348,421

BOOK CONSTRUCTION AND BOOKBINDING METHOD Filed May 29, 1942 6r HAkR/J,Knich; F0570? G HARM:

FOR THE FIRM ArroR/vB s.

Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- BOOK CONSTRUCTION ANDBOOKBINDING METHOD Francisco, Calif.

Application May 29, 1942, Serial No. 445,397

11 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of binding books with special referenceto expedients and methods employed to interconnect the pages of a book.

In the procedure of binding a book, stacked sheets are sewed orotherwise fastened together, the stack is trimmed to make all edgeseven, the binding side of the stack is coated with glue, and at somepoint in the procedure the stack must be rounded to the usual convexityon the binding side of the stack. In a prevalent method of sewing books,known as fiddle stitching, a suitable saw is applied to the binding sideof the stack to make converging pairs of kerfs in the binding margin ofthe stack and the sewing operation consists in looping threads throughthe kerfs. Since the sheets slide easily upon each other and since thekerfs are necessarily wider than the threads employed, unification ofthe stack necessary for performing subsequent steps of the process maybe achieved only by pulling the threads tight while the stack is squareand prior to the rounding operation.

After the stack of sheets is sewed and trimmed, the next step in theconventional procedure is to apply a coat of suitable adhesive to thebinding side of the stack, care being taken to work the adhesivemanually into the gaps caused by the sawed kerfs. The adhesive must thenbe pere mitted to dry for a substantial period of time before the bookis rounded. Unfortunately, the tightness of the threads so essential inthe earlier steps of the binding procedure becomes seriouslydisadvantageous as soon as the rounding operation is reached, andremains detrimental to the life of the book. The rounding of the stackof sheets in effect lengthens the kerfs or channels in which the threadslie and therefore puts the threads under great stress with consequentstretch and sometimes actual breakage. The tendency of the excessivelytensioned thread to pull the finished book out of its roundedconfiguration may be noted for years later and often results in failureof the binding.

The necessity on one hand of initially unifying l providing a finishedbook having certain desirable characteristics.

With reference to saving labor, it is the object of the invention toprovide a method of initially cutting and interlocking the sheets of astack that will simplify the task of the craftsman throughout thebookbinding procedure, save time in various operations including theoperation of cutting the sheets, and eliminate some, if not all, of theusual delay caused by waiting for the adhesive coat to dry prior to therounding operation.

As for the structural or mechanical strength and eificiency of thefinished book, my invention has the following objects: to provide a bookin which the threads lie against sharply defined knife cuts instead ofagainst lacerated paper edges created by saw teeth; to provide afinished book in which the portions of the cuts engaged by the threadsextend substantially parallel to the back of the book; to provide a bookin which the sheets normally fit snugly against the threads; to providea sewed book in which the threads are not unduly strained; and toprovide a sewed book in which the pages are held in place byinterlocking of the sheets as well as by the threads.

The desirable characteristics of the finished book sought in thepractice of my invention cannot be expressed properly by merely listingstructural distinctions. One object is to provide a book that will openwith exceptional freedom, especially freedom from opposition by themeans employed to interconnect the sheets. A feature of a book bound inaccord with my invention is that the book may be opened wider than usualwithout forcing the pages against the threads. Such a book will 'notbreak easily and will survive carelessness and rough handling that wouldordinarily ruin a new book. A further object in mind is to avoid saggingthat commonly occurs when a book stays on a shelf for a long period oftime. i

A further object of my invention is to provide efficient means forcarrying out my method and more specifically to provide means that maybe employed to cut the sheets of the stack in the desired manner andsimultaneously to cause the sheets of the stack to interlock.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent from the following detailed description, taken with theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawing, which is to be considered as illustrative only:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a stack of vice that may beemployed for the cutting operation;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken as indicated by the line 1-! ofFig. 6;

Fig. 8 is anenlarged section taken as indicated by the line 8-8 of Fig.7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of one end of the stack after the roundingoperation;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the stack immediately after thesewing operation;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9 indicating the configuration of thestack when a coat of adhesive is applied;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary end elevation of the roundedstack in a lyingpress prior to the backing operation;

Fig. 13 is a similar view showing the configuration of the book afterthe backing operation;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary plan view showing the completed book inopenposition; and

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line |5| 5 ofFig. 14.

Fig. 1 shows a stack of sheets having a series of cuts 2| along thebinding margin, the cuts extending inwardly from-the binding side 22 ofthe stack to form marginal tongues 23. The cuts 2| may be of variousconfigurations to provide tongues of various shapes provided that theresulting tongues may be bent out of their respective planes and may bepermanently maintained in bent state. V

In my preferred practice I simply slit the sheets to form the stackcuts'ZI, thereby avoiding the removal of any material whatsoever.Although sawing is not precluded, slitting is preferable to sawing. evenwith the thinnest saw, not only because clean-cut edges are thusobtained but also because slitting results in minimum clearance betweenthe tongue edges and the opposite edges of the sheets. I have found thatwith minimum clearance, the cut edges of the sheets opposite the tonguesdesirably impede the return flexure of the bent tongues, and,furthermore, that the bent tongueshelpfully close upon and tendto retaineven the slenderest thread.

Since it is contemplated that the filamentous members employed to unifythe stack will lie at the inner ends of the cuts, I prefer to have theinner ends 24 of the cuts parallel to the binding side of the stack orat least more nearly parallel than perpendicular. In such a bookconstruction any force tending to pull a sheet forward out of the newlysewed stack is exerted against the thread substantially perpendicularlyof the cut with no component of force along the cut. I also prefer tomake the cuts in converging pairs, as indicated in Fig.1, so that threadmay be looped from out to cut in each pair in an efficient manner, .butit is to be understood that the cuts may be disposed otherwise and thatthe thread may extend through the stack in any pattern.

Conceivably the sheets may be individually out prior to stacking toprovide the required tongues, but practical considerations lead to theproblem of cutting the tongues while the sheets are stacked. It is awell known fact that perpendicular penetration of the margin of a pileof sheets by a conventional knife blade tends to cause relative lateralmovement between the blade and the sheets. The blade tends strongly todeviate out- I ward, and if the blade is guided stubbornly in theperpendicular path the sheets of the pile tend almost irresistibly tocreep away from the blade.

A feature of my invention is the concept that this intolerable tendencymay be successfully counteracted in the design of the blade itself. Ihave discovered that the knife edge of the blade may be beveled in adirection to oppose the tendency sufiiciently for successful operation.I have further discovered that fortuitously the nonrectilinearconfiguration of the blade, whereby the inner end of the resulting cutis turned to- .ward parallelism with the binding side of the stack, alsohas some effect in meeting this troublesome tendency. Finally, I havediscovered that any factor of the tendency that may be associated withthe leading edge of the blade at the inner ends of the cut may becompletely cancelled out by simply making opposed pairs of cutssimultaneously.

A suitable tool for making the marginal cuts may be had by machining apiece of tubular tool steel to the shape indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.The cutting tool 25 has an end cutting edge-26 with a bevel 21 to theinner side as indicated in Fig. 5. .Preferably the side edge or verticaledge of the tool is also tapered or sharpened to prevent tearing thesheets of the stack at the inner ends of the cuts. Fig. 4 shows both theside cutting edges 28 and 29 sharpened so that the tool 25 may be madefor cutting either the left out or the right cut of a pair of cuts. Inmaking a pair of cuts, for example, the pair 31] of cuts 2| shown inFig. 1, the tool positioned as indicated in Fig. 4 could be employed tomake the right-hand cut of the pair and then could be rotated to makethe left-hand out. In practice the required number of tools 25 inright-hand and left-hand positions would be mounted'in a gang.

The particular cuts 2| shown in Fig. .1 are made by the preferred formof my tool shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The cutting tool 35 inthesefigures is a channel-shaped member comprising two legs 36 interconnectedby a web 31, the legs being turned inwardly toward each other and havingsharpened vertical edges 38. As indicated in Fig. 8 the leading orcutting edge 40 at the lower end of the tool 35 has a bevel 4| from theinside. A single tool 35 may be mounted in a suitable reciprocatingmechanism to make the various pairs of cuts 30 in the margin of a stack20 consecutively or a. gang of such tools may be mounted in areciprocating mechanism for making all the cuts in a stacksimultaneously. 7

After the tongues 23 are cut by whatever means is employed, they may bebent out of the planes of their respective sheets to interlock thesheets of the stack in the manner contemplated by my invention. Animportant advantage of employing beveled cutting tools, such as thetools 25 and 35, is that the tools cut and bend the tongues 23 in oneoperation, leaving the tongues bent in the manner indicated by Fig. 2.In Fig. 2 it will be noted that on one side of each cut 2| the beveledcutting edge of the tool has turned all the cut edges downwardly, theseout edges :being the edges of the tongues 23., while on the other sideof the :cut the straight side of the blade has left each cut edge in itsoriginal plane. .Such bending of the tongues interlocks the sheetssuificiently to give the stack .21 a material degree of cohesiveness,and the stack will maintain its unit-y against minor forces and may behandled as a unit with only reasonable care. The individual sheets arenot readily moved out of alignment. The interlocking of the sheets is soeffective that I may now as a next step in my operation round the stack20, i. e., slightly displace the sheets progressively by propermanipulation to make the binding side 22 of the stack convex asindicated in Fig. 9.

The next step in my preferred order of operations is "to insert suitablefilaments in the cuts 2! to mechanically unite the sheets of the stack.Preferably a sewing operation is carried out similar to the sewingoperation in conventional fiddle stitching, the thread being placed atthe "inner ends '24 0f the cuts 2! and being looped several times acrosseach pair of cuts, then carried to the other pairs of cuts successively,and, finally, tied or otherwise secured. Fig. 10 shows a thread 12looped in the manner described.

Since the rounded configuration of the stack in the course of the sewing"operation conforms substantially to the rounded configuration of thefinal product, the thread loops are in effect automatically measured toprevent such tension as might unduly oppose the rounded configuration.It is necessary merely to pull the threads snug in the cuts, there beingno necessity for excessive tightness.

After the stack is sewed, the next step may be the application of asuitable coat of adhesive 43 to the binding side of the stack. In mypreferred practice I dog the stack back to its square configurationprior to the application of the adhesive. Fig. 11 shows the glue coating43 on the end of the squared stack. Without waiting for the coat 43 tothoroughly dry, I again round the sewed and glued stack and then placethe rounded stack in a conventional backing machine :between backingjaws 45, as shown in Fig. 12. While the rounded stack is in the backingmachine, the stack is backed in the usual manner, the edges of thesheets being spread to produce overhanging backing B6 on each side ofthe stack, as indicated in Fig. 13. After the usual reinforcement thebook may then be cased in the usual manner to make the finished product.

In the described sequence the stack is rounded twice, the first timemerely as a simple expedient for measuring the thread. The stack may besewed while square, however, if the crafts man ascertains the properallowance for rounding and provides corresponding looseness in thethread.

The manner in which the new procedure saves labor over conventionalfiddle stitching is apparent from the above recitation of the varioussteps. Some labor saving lies in the fact that the character of thestack produced by the cutting operation facilitates various tasks of thecraftsman. Thus, the interlocking character of the stack facilitatesrounding the stack prior to the sewing procedure; the bent tonguestending to close the cuts assists the craftsman by holding the threadsin place during the sewingoperation; and less time is required formerely snug sewing as distinguished from excessively tight sewing.Additional saving in labor and time is achieved by the omission ofcertain conventional operations. Since knife cuts in the binding side ofthe stack as distinguished from saw cuts do not present substantialgaps, it is not necessary to work the glue or adhesive manually into thecuts, the cuts being sealed by the glue without any special attention onthe part of the craftsman. Considerable time and some labor is saved,furthermore, by omitting most of the usual drying period between theapplication of the ad-' hesive and the performance of the backingoperation. In the conventional bookbinding procedure, the glue must bepermitted to set prior to rounding and backing the book because the glueis relied upon to a material extent to hold the sheets together duringthe rounding operation. When a book is rounded and backed after the gluedries, as in the old procedure, the rounding and backing operationsometimes cracks the glue and necessitates a second gluing operation;

The improved mechanical structure of the finished book achieved by myprocedure may be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. Thepages are held by the interlocking tongues as well as by the threads,and the efiectiveness of the tongues is such that the threads may becomeloose and slack without pages being released from the book. Since thethreads are not weakened by excessive stretching, the threads may berelied upon to take any unusual strains that may be imposed bycarelessness or by rough handling. Since the tongues fit snugly againstthe threads, the threads do not tend to work loose even when severed.Since the edges on the two sides of each out are close together, theglue is more effective mechanically than would be the case were theedges of the cuts spaced apart by the width of a saw blade.

Figs. 14 and 15 show clearly how the tongues interlock the sheets in afinished book having a cover 49 and show how the threads function whenthe finished book is opened. When the pages are opened along what may betermed a dividing line 50 of the book, the marginal tongues 23 arerevealed as extending in overlapping disposition from one side of thebook to the other across the dividing line. It is apparent that tonguesfrom several pages to one side of th dividing line 50 extend into theregions of several neighboring. pages on the other side of the line tohinge the two parts of the book together. The bundle 5| of threads inFigs. 14 and 15 not only normally assists in holding the tongues 23 intheir bent configuration, but also tends to pull overlapping tonguesacross the dividing line 58 to interlock the pages on opposite sides ofth line. The tongues may be weak individually but in mass are strong,and Fig. 15 clearly illustrates how all the tongues in a series oftongues from one side of the book to the other lie against each other toreinforce each other when the book is opened.

It may be readily understood how such a book,

fabricated in accord with my invention, may have certain desirablecharacteristics not found in books bound by prior art procedures. Thebook, even when new, opens more freely than prevalent types of books.The shape of the marginal cuts and the of sewing permits the book toopen wider without exert-ing force against the thread. Such a book isless likely to break than usual and will withstand carelessness andrough handling without'serious damage. The book may be left on a shelffor long periods of time with no tendency to sag.

The preferred embodiment and practice of my invention disclosed hereinfor the purpose of disclosure and to illustrate the principles involvedwill suggest to those skilled in the art various changes andsubstitutions under my basic concepts. I reserve the right to all suchdepartures from my specific disclosure that properly lie within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of knife cuts in the binding margin of the stacksubstantially perpendicular to the sheets of the stack to provide aplurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edges permanentlout of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes ofneighboring'sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve a degreeof cohesiveness in the stack; looping filamentous binding materialthrough said cuts along said bent edges so that when the stack issubsequently opened said filamentous binding material presses down on aseries of overlapping tongues extending across the dividing line of thestack, allowance being made in the size of each loop for rounding of thebinding side of the stack, thereby avoiding excessive tension in thefilamentous material in the finished rounded book; and rounding saidbinding margin of said stack.

2. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack toprovide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edgespermanently out of the planes of the corresponding sheets into theplanes of neighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achievea degree of cohesiveness in the stack; rounding the binding side of thestack; passing filamentous material through said cuts while the stack isin rounded state; and drawing said filamentous material snug andsecuring the filamentous material without excessive tension to unify thestack while in rounded state, thereby allowing sufiicient filamentousmaterial to avoid any excessive tendency for the filamentous material topull the stack out of curvature.

3. A method of binding a stack of sheets by using a blade beveled fromone side, including the steps of: forcing said blade through the bindingmargin of the stack to make a plurality of cuts extending inwardly fromthe binding side of the stack with the blade positioned to definemarginal tongues in the sheets of the stack and with the bevel of theblade in the direction to cause each of said tongues to be bentpermanently out of the plane of the corresponding sheet across theplanes of neighboring sheets, thereby to interlock the sheets; roundingthe binding side of the stack; and passing filamentous material throughsaid cuts while the stack is in rounded state and securing saidfilamentous material so that when the stack is subsequently opened saidfilamentous binding material presses down on a series of overlappingtongues extending across the dividing line of the stack.

4. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack toprovide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edgesout of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes of theneighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve a degreeof cohesiveness in the stack; rounding said binding margin of the stack;sewing through said cuts while thestack is in a rounded state; andgluing said binding margin.

5. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack toprovide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edgesout of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes of theneighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve a degreeof cohesiveness in the stack; rounding said binding margin of the stack;sewing through said cuts while the stack is in a rounded state; squaringsaid binding margin; gluing said binding margin while the stack is in asquared state; and again rounding said binding margin.

6. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack toprovid a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edgesout of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes of theneighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve a degreeof cohesiveness in the stack; rounding said binding margin of the stack;sewing through said cuts While the stack is in a rounded state; squaringsaid binding margin; gluing said binding margin while the stack is in asquared state; and again rounding said binding margin while said glue isstill wet.

'7. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including thesteps of making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stackto provide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said outedges out of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes ofthe neighboring sheets thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve adegree of cohesiveness in the stack; sewing through said cuts; gluingsaid binding margin; and rounding said binding margin of the stack whilesaid glue is still wet.

8. A method of bindinga stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack toprovide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet;

bending said cutedges out of the planes of the corresponding sheets intothe planes of the neighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets toachieve adefree of cohesiveness in the stack; loosely sewing throughsaid cuts so as to compensate for rounding of said binding margin;gluing said binding margin; and rounding said binding margin of thestack.

9. A method of binding a stack of sheets for a book, including the stepsof: making a plurality of cuts in the binding margin of the stack to.

provide a plurality of cut edges in each sheet; bending said out edgesout of the planes of the corresponding sheets into the planes of theneighboring sheets, thereby interlocking the sheets to achieve a degreeof cohesiveness in the stack; loosely sewing through said cuts so as tocompensate for rounding of said binding margin; gluing said bindingmargin; and rounding said binding margin of the stack while said glue isstill Wet.

10. In a book, the combination of a stack of sheets, each of said sheethaving a pair of spaced cuts in the binding margin thereof, each of saidcuts being substantially perpendicular.

to the stack and one edge of each out being bent into the plane ofadjacent sheets, the binding margin of said stack being rounded; and abinding filament extending through said cuts and around the interveningportion of the stack, said filament being sufliciently loose to permitthe stack to be opened substantially fiat without materially bindingsaid sheets against said filament,

filament extending through said cuts and around the intervening portionof the stack, said filament being sufficiently loose to permit the stackto be opened substantially fiat without materially binding said sheetsagainst said filament, said filament pressing down when the stack isopened on a series of overlapping tongues formed by said bent edges ofsaid cuts.

' TALBERT C. ROSS.

